Muzzleloading season underway across ArkansasMuzzleloader deer season opened statewide this past Saturday, and hunters are anticipating one of the best hunting weeks in recent years. Summer rains and nice, early fall temperatures have deer activity in full swing, and hunters are looking to take advantage throughout this week and next weekend. Muzzleloading has become the second most anticipated deer hunt in the state, and hunters started flocking to the woods this past Thursday in groves...

Nanners took a beating as kill rates increaseI received a text message from a fellow hunter last week that said “Nanners took a beating this weekend.” By nanners, he was referring to doe deer. This past weekend was the private land’s modern gun doe season where hunters could kill a doe with a high-powered rifle. The year-to-date doe harvest is up 13 percent so if killing more does was the mission, mission accomplished. The total deer harvest is up a whopping 22 percent year to date, alth...

Arkansas full of scenic fall sightsThey say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I am really going to have to bear down to get my point across. Or will I? For those of us who call the Natural State home we know all too well that when the calendar turns to October that our state provides many vibrant images that make us all smile. From the changing of the leaves, the beauty of the mountains, lakes and streams, to the easily visible abundance of wildlife — fall in Arkansas is ...

Taking aim at the first deer of the seasonAfter swaying back and forth in a tree last Friday evening as the winds were gusting to around 30 mph, I figured that a few whiteoak acorns would be on the ground. That would be a great place to be in the morning and I happened to have a stand already in a tree near a large group of whiteoaks. Providing the wind would cooperate, that was my plan for the morning hunt. Daylight seems to be coming later and later, and I was in my tree well in adv...

‘How stupid do they think we are?’ Worst outdoor products everI love building stuff and have always dreamed of inventing something that would have mass appeal, so I could sell it and hunt full-time (this part-time hunting is for the birds!). I’ve been watching “Shark Tank” lately and love the entrepreneurial spirit that exists in a capitalistic society. Of course, if your invention is good enough, you wouldn’t need the approval of the sharks, but that’s an entirely different subject. My thoughts today ar...

Police: Phelps' eyes, speech affected at DUI stop BALTIMORE (AP) — Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps registered .14 percent on a blood-alcohol test after he was stopped on a speeding violation, according to charging documents released Wednesday. The legal limit for intoxication in Maryland is .08. Phelps, 29, was charged Tuesday with driving under the influence, excessive speed and crossing double lane lines in the Fort McHenry Tunnel on Interstate 95 in his native Baltimore, according to the Ma...

It’s time to pay closer attention on area roadsFall is definitely in the air and aside from Razorback football, grilling in the back yard and getting ready for hunting season, all citizens of the river valley need to use a bit of caution as deer activity will pick up all across the natural state. Deer collisions with automobiles have been on a steady upward trend and things will be no different this year as Arkansas is enjoying one of its largest deer populations ever. According to the Nat...

Archers feeling the need for speedI’ve owned about seven different compound bows over my 35 plus year of my love of archery. That may seem like a lot, but in actuality I’ve lagged way behind the technology curve. I’ve lagged even further behind in the pace of the marketing curve that bow manufacturers want you to suck you in to. Today’s lightning fast bows have IBO speeds over 350 feet per second (fps), with 400 fps as the next target. IBO stands for International Bowhunter Or...

Tony Stewart will not face charges in deadly crash CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. (AP) — Prosecutors announced Wednesday that a grand jury had decided against bringing criminal charges against three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart in the August death of a driver at a sprint car race in upstate New York. Ontario County District Attorney Michael Tantillo said the victim, Kevin Ward Jr., was under the influence of marijuana the night of the accident "enough to impair judgment." And he said two videos examin...

Bears getting plentiful statewideSeveral years ago bear hunting in Arkansas was more or less an afterthought. There were not a large number of bears and most hunters did not seem interested, but fast forward to 2014 and Arkansas has a thriving bear population statewide with many of those bears located within easy driving distance of the Arkansas River Valley. I currently know of two bears that are in the greater Russellville area and once in a while one of these curious critt...

Vikings' Adrian Peterson accused of child abuseMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Authorities in Texas issued an arrest warrant Friday for star Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson after he was indicted on a charge of child abuse for using a branch to spank his son. He was swiftly benched by his team for this weekend's game against New England. Peterson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, said that the charge in Montgomery County, near Houston, accuses Peterson of using a switch to spank one of his sons. ...

Source says Rice video sent to NFL in AprilATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — A law enforcement official says he sent a video of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee to an NFL executive five months ago, while league executives have insisted they didn't see the violent images until this week. The person played The Associated Press a 12-second voicemail from an NFL office number on April 9 confirming the video arrived. A female voice expresses thanks and says: "You're right. It's terrible." The law enf...

Holla Bend highlights hunting landsAs each and every year passes many hunters across the nation are subjected to having less hunting opportunities and places to hunt but in the great state of Arkansas that simply is not the case. None of us particularly like taxes, but when Arkansans passes a slight tax increase that benefited the AGFC a few years back, many of those funds were designated to help give hunters greater access to hunting areas all across the state. Also, the AGFC ...

Dove season opensLITTLE ROCK — Dove season opened Saturday statewide, and hunters need to make sure they’re registered for the Harvest Information Program, usually called HIP. This is a mandatory federal program in effect in all states except Hawaii. It’s free, but hunters should remember they have to register for HIP each year in each state they hunt. It’s required for dove, duck, goose and all migratory bird hunting. Hunters under the age of 16 are not requi...

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Arkansas Game and Fish CommissionThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Lady Bass Anglers return to Lake Dardanelle ParkThe Lady Bass Anglers Association (LBAA) will return during the 2014 season to Russellville’s Lake Dardanelle State Park for their WILDCARD event. During this two-day event, professional anglers will compete to bring in the heaviest five-fish limit comprised of any combination of largemouth, smallmouth or spotted bass. Co-anglers will for the same species but only need three fish for a bag limit each day. The angler in each division with the l...

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Courier sports staffThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

The highs and lows of crossbowsThe archery catalog that appeared in my mailbox the other day contained more pages of crossbows than it did longbows. Not many years ago, here in Arkansas, crossbows were not legal or they were only allowed to be used by disabled hunters. With 13 pages of crossbows for sale, crossbows not only have become legal in many states and more popular, but they’re here to stay. I was at the local archery shop last week and noticed the large display of ...

Fall fishing opportunities plentiful in the Natural StateAs we all know Arkansas is a sportsman’s paradise and there is no better evidence of this than in the fall season of the year. Hunting and fishing opportunities are more than plentiful causing many outdoor enthusiasts to make some tough decisions. This year will be no different as it is shaping up to be a nice fall with the abundance of rain and cooler temperatures that we have had. In previous columns I have highlighted all of the upcoming hu...

NFL increases penalties for domestic violenceNEW YORK (AP) — NFL players will be subject to a six-week suspension for a first domestic violence offense and banishment from the league for a second under a new policy outlined by Commissioner Roger Goodell. In a letter and memo sent to all 32 teams owners Thursday, and obtained by The Associated Press, Goodell says he "didn't get it right" in giving Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice a two-game suspension for allegedly hitting the woman...

High School Football Podcast E:1Welcome to the first ever episode of Sports Watch, a podcast brought to you by The Courier. In this episode Mickey DuVall and Travis Simpson discuss various topics concerning the Russellville Cyclones and the upcoming football season, the Pottsville Apaches and the contact rules recently set by the Arkansas Activities Association. Join us every week as we break down all the teams in the Arkansas River Valley.

Summer heat raising havoc with outdoor activitiesWe all knew that it had to happen eventually, but most of us held out hope that this was going to be the first summer in years that the 100 degree mark was not surpassed. The truth is that it would not be an Arkansas summer without some hot and humid days to make us long for the first blast of fall, but with a July like we had this summer, many had started looking toward fall a bit early. Currently the River Valley is sizzling leading into the...